After Liberia was declared Ebola-free six weeks ago, a body of a dead citizen was tested positive for the virus, plunging a village into quarantine. That’s right — Ebola is back.
Deputy health minister, Tolbert Nyenswah said tests confirmed that Ebola is back after the deceased 17-year-old man, from a town near the main airport, had died of the disease. The conditions under which the young man contracted Ebola are still uncertain.
First case of Ebola in Liberia since country declared virus-free
Early investigations suggest that the boy was found in Margibi County among the worst impacted areas during the previous outbreak. A team collected bodily fluid, and the village where the boy was from was immediately placed under quarantine to prevent further infections. The body was buried according to anti-Ebola safety guidelines.
According to the BBC, this is the country’s first reported case since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Liberia virus-free in May.
In Guinea, Ebola infections persist
Ebola is back in Liberia, but in Guinea, it had not even left. The boy fell ill June 21, died three days later in a region close to Guinea, where Ebola infections continue to persist.
In May 2015, cases of Ebola began to appear in Tanene, Dubreka Prefecture, Guinea. This is an area that had previously been unaffected.
The international health community is now doing its best to ensure that the outbreak remains limited to that area. The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners have launched a surveillance campaign to find individuals who might be infected while providing support to families.
Around 20 to 27 weekly cases of Ebola
According to WHO statistics, since the end of May, the weekly case incidence of Ebola appears to have stalled at between 20 and 27 cases .
More than 11,000 people have died of the disease since the outbreak in West Africa. The vast majority of the victims were found in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Experts fear that with the start of the rainy season, the number of cases will rise.
Cases continue to arise from unknown sources of infection, and to be detected only post-mortem. The international health community, has mobilized its largest response to what has been labeled “the most severe and most complex outbreak in the history of this disease”.
Ebola is back in Liberia, but if you’re in one of the areas Ebola-free, protect yourself from other concerns with Blink:
Ebola Is Back -- Liberian Village Under Quarantine
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